LOS ANGELES — YouTube is changing its content creator verification program that could make social media life even harder for adult talent and producers.
According to YouTube, it’s important for users to know that the channel they are watching is the official presence of a creator, artist, public figure or company. So, the company is now amending its channel verification program beginning next month by ushering in a revamped look and updated eligibility requirements. The new look replaces the familiar checkmark next to a verified channel’s name with a gray highlighting or shadowing effect over the name.
“Through our research, we found that viewers often associated the checkmark with an endorsement of content, not identity,” the blog post revealed. “To reduce confusion about what being verified means, we’re introducing a new look that helps distinguish the official channel of the creator, celebrity or brand it represents.”
The new eligibility requirements may cause problems for adult content creators that already walk a tightrope trying to balance adherence to the platform’s policies and terms of service.
While previously channel verification had applied to those with over 100,000 subscribers (without proof of authenticity), YouTube has now outgrown this simplistic approach.
YouTube's new policy focuses on the ability to prove "prominence" and "authenticity." While prominence might be an easy hurdle for many performers, proving authenticity might present a bigger challenge to those who are publicly known by a stage name.
“Does this channel belong to the real creator, artist, public figure or company it claims to represent?” the blog post asks. “Does this channel represent a well known or highly searched creator, artist, public figure or company? Is this channel widely recognized outside of YouTube and have a strong presence online? Is this a popular channel that has a very similar name to many other channels?”
All channels will reportedly come under scrutiny for compliance with the new requirements, and while there have been no current reports of adult performers being discriminated against, XBIZ will continue to follow this development closely.